


god rest ye merry gentlefolk

by misura



Category: The Mummy (1999), The Mummy Series
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Gen, Yuletide Treat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:33:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28107090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misura/pseuds/misura
Summary: Imhotep and Ardeth join Evy and Rick for a Christmas celebration. Naturally, there are gifts.
Comments: 14
Kudos: 27
Collections: Yuletide 2020





	god rest ye merry gentlefolk

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Wiccy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wiccy/gifts).



"Socks," Rick said. "You got me socks."

Evy bestowed an approving look upon Imhotep that was frankly worrying. _Evy_ had received a neat (which was to say: deeply disturbing) set of curses, all ready to go, just fill in a name on the dotted line.

Imhotep had taken special care to point out the dotted line, sounding terribly pleased with himself for having mastered this modern concept, which Rick had thought sort of cute in a weird way, like, 'look how well we're getting the creepy undead mummy guy used to the twentieth century, honey'.

The point was, Rick had had _expectations_ , and these socks weren't meeting them.

"Are they magical socks?" he asked, half-hopeful and half not, because he did not want to need to worry about putting on the wrong socks in the morning and ending up being able to cover seven miles with one step or something kooky like that.

"They are warm and comfortable and a suitable gift for all occasions, as a man can never own too many pairs of socks," Imhotep said, which was rich, given that Rick could count the number of times he'd seen Imhotep wear any socks without using either his hands or his feet or anything.

Rick would have pointed this out, except that Evy was giving them the Look again, so instead, he turned to Ardeth, who also had never celebrated Christmas in his life but had at least managed to get Rick something better than socks. "Ardeth? What did he get you? Please tell me it's socks."

Ardeth held up something that definitely wasn't socks.

"A blade forged in fire and spelled to never break or require sharpening," Inhotep declared.

"Wow," Rick said. In all fairness, it definitely was a 'wow' inspiring sword. The very first word coming to mind when seeing it was 'wow'. Ardeth looked cautiously pleased. Evy looked pleased as punch. "I mean, seriously. Wow. And you still got me socks? _Socks_?"

Imhotep frowned, as if the concept of non-magical socks being inherently inferior to a gorgeous magical sword was utterly alien to him.

"They're very nice socks," Ardeth said, apparently feeling comfortable commenting on other people's gifts while being reluctant to admit out loud that he was thrilled to bits with his own.

"They're socks!" Rick said. "You couldn't have gotten me, oh, I don't know, how about a gun that never runs out of bullets? That would've been pretty cool. And useful. And a lot better than socks."

"Rick!" Evy said, in her 'I am shocked, shocked! by your being so American' voice.

"I'm just saying." Rick felt defensive and decidedly ganged up on. It was not a good feeling.

"And I'm just saying that socks are a perfectly good Christmas gift," Evy said. "You should be thankful."

"Are you going to curse me with boils if I'm not?" Rick asked, which, okay, neither fair nor smart, but he'd really been hoping for some support here.

Ardeth put his hand on Rick's arm. "My friend. She has a point. As does he." 'He' being Imhotep, of course, who was looking vaguely bewildered and like Rick was definitely hurting his feelings here, which was some damn dirty pool.

"All right, fine. But keep in mind my hint about the gun for next year, will you?" Rick looked at Imhotep, trying to look - not happy, that would've been too much, but at least like he wasn't feeling extremely let down and disappointed. "And thanks. Yay, socks."

"I am pleased you like them," Imhotep said, by way of proving that he might be able to throw things around by waving his hand and summon ghosts and what-not, but that simple stuff like reading someone's expression was way out of his league.

Or maybe he was messing with Rick's head. That kind of fitted in with the whole 'evil undead creature from the distant past who must never be awakened lest the world be drowned in blood and chaos and other terrible stuff' thing Imhotep'd had going on, back when.

Supposedly, he was all reformed now, and Rick was all in favor of giving a second chance to a guy who, let's be fair here, hadn't had a great time for the past oh, three thousand years or so, what with the curse and all, thanks to those whacky ancient Egyptians and their idea of a fitting punishment for a little adultery and murder.

From a certain point of view, it was actually pretty amazing how sane Imhotep had turned out to be.

On the other hand, any which way you looked at it, socks were still socks.

"Guess I know what I'll be getting _you_ next Christmas, huh?" This year, in consultation with Evy, he'd gotten Imhotep a city guide to London. (Ardeth had gotten him a fancy umbrella, having spent all of three days in England and already having caught on to the most important thing to know about the local weather.)

"Whatever it is, I will be grateful," Imhotep said. "As you - all of you, have already given me the greatest gift possible. I am in your debt for all eternity."

Evy's eyes went a little misty. Less than a year ago, Imhotep had tried to sacrifice her to revive his dead girlfriend. Rick decided he would never understand women. He remembered sort of liking that about them once.

"Only make sure we do not regret that gift, and we will consider ourselves well repaid," Ardeth said, which wasn't exactly fighting talk, but at least it was _something_.

"Well, Evy and Ardeth might," Rick said. "Me, I'm reserving judgment until next year's Christmas."

"As is fair," Imhotep said. "I will endeavor to live up to your expectations, O'Connell."

 _How about you stop flirting with Evy, for starters?_ Rick almost said, but didn't, because Evy was a grown woman, perfectly capable of deciding for herself whom she'd allow to flirt with her.

"Great," he said, because Evy's expression suggested some verbal response was called for. "Looking forward to it."

"Ardeth baked cookies," Evy said. "Anybody wants one? Oh, and there's wine."

"Wine sounds great," Rick said, staring out the window to see it had started snowing.

Next thing he knew, both Ardeth and Imhotep were standing with their noses more or less pressed up against the glass, and Rick told himself that okay, maybe socks weren't _that_ bad of a first effort from someone who'd never even seen snow before in his life.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [A Choice of Right](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28881432) by [Merfilly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly)




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